The Big C ...

Cancer, stupid cancer ... that has been uttered A LOT lately in our house! We are going to try to keep everyone updated here on the blog about what is going on in Camie's treatment and let you all know how I am feeling. But let's start at the beginning, shall we ...

On Tuesday, March 29th I went in for a routine colonoscopy. I know, too young for a colonoscopy, and why do I say routine? On March 29, 1989 my father underwent surgery for the removal of colon cancer at the age of 39 (I was 14). My diagnosis was 22 years to the day of his surgery - crazy, I know. His mother, her sister and their mother all had - and died - from colon cancer (all diagnosed after the disease had severely metastasized throughout their bodies). Grandma was 58, Aunt Dixie was 61 and Great Grandma was 56. We always felt strongly that it was genetic in nature, so I started getting screened at age 29. This was my 3rd colonoscopy, I've had them every 5 yrs, this one was about 4 1/2 yrs since the last one. And I'm so glad I went when I did!

The day of my diagnosis the "routine" flew right out the window the minute they brought me back from the endoscopy lab, still heavily sedated, and asked Andy if his morning was free because the doctor needed to speak to him and the Dr had a few more patients to see before he could come in. Needless to say, Andy knew something was wrong. It was about 90 minutes before the Dr came in. I was sleeping off the sedation this entire time, so there sat my poor sweet husband, by himself, knowing that they had found something! I cry every time I think of him there all alone!

I came out of sedation for just a moment when the doctor came in. He stood just inside the door, at the foot of my bed, with an open folder. He was showing something to Andy (I later learned he was showing Andy the pictures of the tumor), and I remember hearing the doctor say "it's in her Cecum, just like her father's". I didn't panic, I didn't cry, I didn't think oh no, or why me. I remember thinking ok, when do we take it out. Calmly, contently, and totally peaceful. The next little while until I came fully out of sedation is pretty blurry. I remember telling Andy to call my mom. I don't remember him doing it, and I can't imagine what that was like for him to have to tell his mother in law that her only daughter has cancer. But the next time I woke up she was there. I remember asking for a blessing and waking up to my oldest brother being next to me. I began waking up more from that point and was able to be included in the conversations. The surgeon came in and explained everything. That they had found a tumor, how they would go about taking it out, what all the surgery entailed, etc. Because I hadn't come in presenting with any problems or other health issues, and because I was young and so healthy, they were fine with sending me home for the day to prepare for surgery the next day. My youth and health continue to put me ahead of the curve in regards to my healing and responding to treatment.

So we went home. We took our kids out of school to tell them, it was devastating. We called our family and friends. It was like I was talking about someone else. At this point we were confident that we would go through surgery and that would be the end of the story. I was so content and at peace about everything - I just knew, that no matter what the pathology report said, I would be ok. And then we went about our regular day! We went to Sydney's track meet, where she rocked it! I coached my U10 girls soccer team - and we won! We went to our son's soccer game and cheered them on. All the while running into friends who we told, or who had already heard the news, and they hugged us close and cried with us.

Andy and I have been told many times that we were dealing with this all really well - and we are! But trust me, there have been plenty of tears and breakdowns! But we are strong. We have our faith, we have each other, our children, our families and the most amazing group of friends who have come from all over to help us out! From the meals, to the childcare, the cards, emails, text messages and facebook posts from friends of 20+ years ago! The outpouring of love and support as been insanely incredible! Prior to leaving for surgery on Wednesday morning (March 30), I posted on facebook that I had cancer. Andy and I had to turn our phones off because of the vast amounts of facebook messages that also spawned text messages. The emotions were already so easy to come that the outpouring of love from everyone was pushing us over the edge! I cherish each and every text and facebook post I receive! Much of my strength came, and continues to come, from knowing that so many people have me in their thoughts and prayers. Thank-you isn't a strong enough word to truly convey the emotion I feel when I say it, but I thank each of you from the bottom of my heart! I carry your sweet words with me every day, and I am stronger because of them.

I went into surgery on Wednesday, March 30. It was a hand assisted laproscopic right hemicolectomy - quite the mouthful, eh? The tumor was near the Illeocecal valve (valve connecting the small intestine with the colon). It measured 5.5 x 3.5 x 4.1 cm in dimension and extended almost but not completely through the muscularis propria (meaning it almost came out of the colon - it had less then 1 mm to go before it broke through the colon wall into my abdomen!). They removed 26cm of my small intestine and 15cm of my colon. They also removed 40 lymph nodes and my right ovary. On Tuesday, the day of the diagnosis, I had several blood test, xrays and CT scans completed. The CT scan showed that my ovary had a fairly large cyst and they took that out as a precaution. I was suppose to be in the hospital until Sunday or Monday, but was released on Saturday since I was doing so well. The surgeon had told Andy that the surgery would last about 2 1/2 hours - it was 4 1/2! Andy said the nurses were great to get him updates and let him know all was going well. I know many friends and family were in the waiting room with Andy - I still don't really know who all was there - but Thank-you! I was in a lot of pain that night, but mostly in my back! Dr Sheffield said it took some digging to get to the ovary and get it out and that the back pain was from that and being on the OR table so long - and that being so skinny probably didn't help either! I was on morphine Wednesday and Thursday - if you came either of those days, sorry if I didn't make sense or looked/acted drugged - 'cause I was! ;) But the pain subsided and I was able to make due with just Tylenol and Ibuprofren from Friday on.

On Wednesday, April 6 we meet with the surgeon for a post-op check up and to receive the pathology results. He was great with us. He said he had good news and bad news - the good news was that they took 40 lymph nodes out, the bad news was that the cancer was found in 2 of them. Ugh ... this meant chemo for sure! The next few hours was again a whirlwind of meeting with the oncologist and learning the language of Chemo. I would have a port placed in my chest the following week on Tuesday the 12th and start Chemo on Wednesday the 13th. Chemo will be a 3 day cycle. Wednesday is in patient for several hours. At the end of Wednesdays treatment I would be hooked up to a pump that would drip chemo drugs for the next 48 hours while I was at home. On Friday I will come back in and have the pumped removed and receive a shot to promote the growth of my white blood cells. Whew ... it was a lot of information to take in.

There is still so much of the story to tell, but I'll start doing individual posts to tell the tales! From the crazy amount of food we have received, to the port in my chest that is totally freaky looking, to the AMAZING friends and family that finished painting my basement and moved furniture so our new carpet could be laid! And I have got to get down in words how I have felt through this entire ordeal. Content and at Peace - but I need to write it all down before the feelings fade or the memories are forgotten!

Please check back often - we will do our best to stay updated!